Resources in Moodle Dubravka Crnić

Moodle supports a range of resource types which teachers can add to their courses. In edit mode, a teacher can add resources via a drop down menu. Resources appear as a single link with an icon in front of it that represents the type of resource.

Book The Book module makes it easy to create multi-page resources with a book-like format. Previously created websites can be imported directly into the Book module. Books can be printed entirely or by chapter. The book module allows you to have main chapters and sub chapters, but it goes no deeper. In other words, sub chapters cannot have their own sub chapters, as the module is intended to be a simple resource for teachers and students. The book module is not interactive. You can, however, link to choices, forums etc., from within a book. Also, Flash movies and other multimedia may be included in a book

File When you wish to share with your students a simple file such as a Word-processed document or slideshow (eg created in MS Word, Powerpoint, or Open Office) you use the file resource type. It allows you to upload and display a variety of resources on your course. How your students access them depends on your choices in File resource settings. Note also that they will only be able to open your files if they have the appropriate software on their own computers

Folder A folder allows a teacher to display several course resources together. The resources may be of different types and they may be uploaded in one go, as a zipped folder which is then unzipped, or they may be added one at a time to an empty folder on the course page. When the folder icon is clicked, the resources it contains are displayed for the student Using a folder to display resources is neater than displaying files one by one in a list. It takes up less space on the course page

IMS IMS is a body which helps define technical standards for various things, including e-learning material. The IMS Content Packaging specification makes it possible to store chunks of material in a standard format which can be re-used in different systems, without having to convert the material into new formats. The IMS content package in Moodle enables such content packages to be uploaded and included in Moodle courses. There are various options for displaying content in a pop-up window, with a navigation menu or buttons etc.

Label A label serves as a spacer on a Moodle course page.It can be used to add text,images, multimedia or code in between other resources in the different sections. It is a very versatile resource and can help to improve the appearance of a course if used thoughtfully. Banners or descriptions may be added to labels to distinguish between and highlight different areas. On the other hand, over-use of multimedia (sound,video)in labels can slow down the loading of a course page.

Page A page resource creates a link to a screen that displays the content created by the teacher. The robust Text editor allows the page to display many different kinds of content such as plain text, images, audio, video, embedded code or a combination of all these. In certain cases it might be preferable to use the page resource instead of uploading a word-processed document, particularly if the document contains text that is just to be read and not downloaded.

URL A URL (Uniform or Universal Resource Locator) is a link on the internet to a website or online file. Teachers can use the URL resource to provide their students with web links for research, saving the student time and effort in manually typing out the address. The URLS can be displayed in various ways - see the URL resource settings for example, opening in a new window so a student can access and use the URL, close it and return easily to their original Moodle course page.